Electrically-operated controlling mechanism.



N0. 813,638. PATENTBD H1127, 1906.

I G. H. PRETTS. I v ELBOTBIUALLY OPERATED CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY13, 1905.

2 SHEETS-$HEET 1.

ear 6 PATEN'TED FEB. 27, 19061 G. H. FRETTS. ELEGTRIGALLY OPERATEDCONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1905.

2 SHEETS-81351131? new ratio/Eli chosen s. rnilirs. 01a SPRINGFlELD,IVIASSAUHUSE'IHTS.

sirsoraicAtLw-oesaerao oon'rnoruue echanism.

To. all whom it mag'eonoern;

Be it known that l, GEORGE H. FRETTS,

a citizen cf'the United States, residing at Springfield, in the countyof Hampden and State of lVlassachusetts, have invented new and usefullmfirovements in Electrically-Operable Contro ing Mechanism, of whichthe I following is' a specification.

This invention relates to electricallyaoperable controlling mechanismcapable of sue cesstul use in many connections' It is of prime advantagewhen employed in connection with a street-raillway switch, and in theform of embodiment of the invention which l-have selected liOIIllUSU'ntlOII in 'the'draw-- ing'sacconipanymgand forming apart of thisI specif ication., I represent the mechanism as lassociated w th andadapted to operate a g switcln In th s particular adaptation of theinvention it involves two solenoids adapted to be alternatelyenergizedand to swing the switch-tongue in opposite (llI'QCblOI1Stll2li1is to. say, one solenoid when energized Wlll 7 i451 hut I wish tostateat this point that I do not hmltmyself to the-disclosure thus made,for certa n var ations may he adoptedwi thin the 1 through itsconnections with the swi'tcln tongue move the latter in one direction,and

when the otherfsolenoid is energized it will 1 movethe switch'ton'gue inthe opposite direct on.

'It'is one of the objects of the invention to hold the solenoids.inposition in a solid subrstantial manner, .so that they cannot be H movedin anydirection that is, either upward or downward or sidewise.

, A further object of the invention is in the provision of means forholding the cores of the respect ve solenoids fixedly in certainpositions, byvirtue oi which the switch-tongue cannot moveTheinventionmcludes other objects and advantages, which, with theforegoing, will be set forth at length in the fell )wing description,while what is novel in the invention will be included in the claimssucceeding said de scrlption. In the latter I will set forth indetail'the showing made by the drawings,

scope of my claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig ure 1 is a a sectional front elevation ofa mechanism involvlng my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse seetlonal' view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detailview, upon an enlarged scale, of a part of a solenoid core and certaincooperating -devices. F 1g. 4 1S8, top plan view of the same.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May 13,1905. SerialNo, 260.315.

Patented set. 2?, 19cc.

)lace, some suitable 'form of packing being 1 interposed between saidtop-and the body of the box to secure a water-tight joint therebetween.Within the casing; I have shown a rocker or lever 4, i'ulcriuned betweenits ends upon a bracket or hearing 5. The bracket or hearing has itsworking surface of V shape td receive the fulcrum ol' the lever, whichis in the form of a knife-edge. Extending through a stulling-l ox(Sintho upper side 01 the easjug adjacent to the bed of the switchtiiingue is a rod 7, which is supported for endwise movement by the saidswitch-tongue bed and which is notched in its upper side to receivc thetongue, so that as the rod is longitudinally moved the switch-tonguewill be vibrated. The inner end ofthc rod 7 is connected by a swivel 8withthe rocker or lever 4 directly over the fulcrum thereof. Within thecasing are two solenoids, each of which will be denoted in a general wayby 9 and Y r the coils of which are connected to wiresor equivalentconductors extending into the casing through a laterally-extending tube10. The bases of -the solenoids rest upon a board. 11, fitted closely nithin the casing and in hair cular holes formed in a second hoardsuperimposed upon the board 12 and also fitted snugly within the casing.The two boards 11. and 12 constitute a support for prevent ing downws rdand lateral motion. of the two solenoids, the supporthaving, as will beunderstood, a seat for said solenoids.

' Clamped to the tows voi' he solenoids is a chem cally-treated board13, having holes throu h which the brass tubes forming part of anextending slightly above the windings of the two solenoids project. Theboard 13 has perforations near its opposite ends to rcceive the shanksof bolts 15, thelower hooked ends of which enge ge under lugts, as 16,upon the opposite sides of the casin interiorly thereof, so that whehthe nuts 0 said bolts are set-up it will be evident that the boltsfirmly press the clamping-hoard 13- against side of the rocker nearthereof.

It will be evident from the description thus far/made that when thesolenoid on the right in- Fig. 1 is energized its. core will beattracted so as to throw the switch-tongue 3 to the right by reason ofthe intermediate connections. When the other solenoid is energlized, thetongue will be oppositely moved.

he core of each solenoid 9 has a channel in its outer side extendingdownward therefrom a suitable distance from the upper edge thereof. Intoeach channel is set a latch, as 18, the hooks of the latchesbeingadapted to engage catches, as 19, which may be integral with the casing,but the workin ortions of which, br those parts thereof w 10h areengaged by the hooked ends of the latches, being covered with brass inorder to assure the proper action of the latches. The latches 18are-pivoted in place, and for this purpose rivets niay be used. Thelatches 18 are adapted to alternately engage the catches'or lugs 19ineorder to hold the switch-tongue 3 firmly ina shifted position. Behindeach latch 18 and in the channel in which it works I arrange a spring,as 20, the springs bein preferably of brass. The springs insure t eshouldered portions of the latches snapping promptly over their catchesor keepers, and as they are made of brass they prevent the iron latchesfrom touching the respective cores, so that when the current-is cut oilfrom eithersolen: bid the latch associated therewith can be returnedinstantly to its operative position. 1 It will be assumed that the latch18 on the left engages its cooperating catch 19, the solenoid 9 on theright having been previously 3 to the right. It will be assumed that itis desired to move the switch-tongue in the opposite direction, toaccomplish which result it "wilLbe necessary to ener ize the solenoid 9on theleft. When said solenoid is energized,

-it will'attract its core, and as the latter is magnetized it in turn.attracts the latch 18,

actingas an armature so as to carry the latch from oil the catch, afterwhich the solenoidcore on the left itself will be attracted by thesolenoid in order to swing the switch-tongue from the right to the left.The initial operation, therefore, that takes place in any event .istherelease of a latch and thereafter the movement of the core carryingsaid latch.

Havin invention, what edges, the opposite branches of the rocker havingV-sha ed bearings to support said last-mentioned knife-edges, and therods be ing connected with the cores of the respective solenoids, andoperative connections be tween the rocker and the switch-tongue.

2. The combination of a casing, a board fitted in the casing, solenoidssupported upon the board, a second board fitter in the casing andrestingn on the first board and having holes in whic the bottoms of thesolenoids fit, a third board fitted against the topsof the solenoids,the latter having tubes extending upward therefrom and the third boardhaving holes for the passage of the tubes, means for clamping the thirdboard against the solenoids, a rocker fulcrumed between its ends in thecasing, the opposite branches thereof being operatively connected. withthe cores of the solenoids, a switch-tongue, and operative connectionsbetween the switch-tongue and the rocker.

3. A solenoid and its core, combined with a latch carried by said coreand arranged to be attracted by the core on'the energization of saidsolenoid,

4. The combination of a solenoid and its core, a latch carried by thecore and arranged to be attracted by the core on the energizetion of thesolenoid, and a brass spring between the latch and the core.

5. The combination of a solenoid and its core, the latter having achannel, and a latch pivotally supported 111 the channeland arranged tobe attracted by the core on the energization'of the solenoid.

6. The combination of a pair of solenoids and their-cores, latches,carried by the cores IOO and arranged to be attracted thereby on-theenergization of the respective solenoids,- and catches arranged to bealternately engaged by the latche 7. The combinationof'a' pair ofsolenoids and their cores, latches carried by the cores and arranged tobe attracted thereby, on, the

energization of the ,res ective solenoids, catches arranged to be aternately engaged by the latches, a switch-tongue, and connectionsbetween the solenoid-cores and switch tongue for operating the latter.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- GEOKGE H. FRETTS'.

